The Babadook has been labeled the best Australian horror movie in years. I've got not much to compare to, but I do recognize a good horror picture when I see one. While you won't have to prepare for jump scares, gallons of blood or unbearable tension, Jennifer Kent's movie relies on the expressions of the actors and the psychological darkness surrounding the story. Essie Davis and child actor Noah Wiseman give their best making their facial expressions speak a thousand words and mostly they succeed. In addition, I think it is possible to read a subtext in this movie: the Babadook being the psychological terror of not being able to cope with reality. Of course that's just a possible interpretation (although I like the metaphorical layer of the ending when looking at the movie this way). The kind of horror that adds a pinch of Dark Touch to movies like Mama, Sinister and Oculus. Recommended!
Not too shabby.
One thing that really bugged me was the occasional stock sound effect. Which is a shame, because otherwise the sound design was really good. But then once in a while there'd be this stock "monster roar" sound effect that you've heard in a million cheap genre flicks, and you can't help but roll your eyes.
It's not as scary as people are saying it is, but it's still an all right movie and has good metaphorical value. But it kind of makes me not want to have kids because that kid is utterly annoying.
Do yourself a favor and watch this movie. It has a deep meaning that goes beyond the typical horror movie, the symbolism in it astonishing, brilliantly made to get you thinking. It also has great acting, even though the kid will haunt me for a while, even more than the Babadook itself.
The Babadook does not disappoint. It's creepy, gloomy, dark and a thoughtful love child of German Expressionism and more modern horror. The focus is laid on mood instead of scares, and Kent has made a very decent film with this.
Thorough review in Dutch: http://www.moviemeter.nl/film/96975/info/30#4231453
The Babadook is first and foremost about depression and dealing with overwhelming loss. The monster is a manifestation of that, existing in a space created by magical realism, if anywhere at all. It's the story of a woman whose husband died taking her to the hospital to have her baby delivered, and now raises the child "responsible" alone. And he's a difficult boy. One night, she finds a creepy children's book on the shelf and accidentally inflames his imagination and her own with the dark figure of Mr. Babadook, who soon comes knocking. Lots of good scares, but the horror works best on a psychological, rather than manifest, level, and a lot of the details about what's really going on play in the background, reward the perceptive viewer, and allow for discoveries on subsequent viewings. The production design is striking, aping the book's aesthetic and color palette without calling too much attention to it. I'm quite stoked that we're getting so many richer, deeper horror films lately.
I'm ecstatic to see that there are still high quality horror movies being produced in this day and age. The story was expertly laid out and the atmosphere was dark and foreboding. I also appreciated that there was a decent child actor as one of the main characters. (They're hard to find in a lot of high budget films.) My only issues were the stock "dinosaur screams" I heard a couple times and the babadook's face being shown about halfway through the film which kind of lessened the "fear of the unknown" for me. I really enjoyed this movie as it held my attention in anticipation of what would happen next. 8.5/10 stars for sure!
One of the better horror movies i've seen the last years, does not use those blockbuster scares and loud noises.
Does resemble movies like: The Shining and The Exorcist when it comes to creepines and ambience.
This is going to be tough talking about this one without giving away key plot points and themes that will ruin the experience for you guys. I’ll start off by saying that this is at least the best horror film since “The Conjuring” last year and at most the best horror film of the last decade. For me, it rests somewhere in the middle. Whether or not it starts leaning towards a certain side will be determined by repeat viewings, which is rare for a horror film. Watch it again? The scares aren’t going to hit right? The element of surprise will be gone right? In most cases, that is correct. However, this film is way more than just a jump scare reel with something resembling a story.
There really aren’t any jump scares, yet, I haven’t been this scared watching a movie in a long time. I was slack jawed throughout most of the 2nd half and was honestly scared walking around my dark apartment building afterward. I inspect vacant houses for a living. I’m constantly in pitch black abandoned basement by myself and yet this film made me afraid of the dark. That’s choice guys. That’s what I look for in a horror film, something that makes me so uneasy that my reality is tweaked just a bit.
The film centers around Amelia, powerfully played by Essie Davis, and her son Samuel, played by Noah Wiseman. Samuel is a goddamn terror. He is being kicked out of school and while he’s a smart and creative little monster, he’s also prone to complete screaming meltdowns and completely erratic behavior. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t a fan of Samuel early on in the film. I honestly wanted to punch him in the face; a toddler, in the face. I don’t even feel bad about that. He was that much of a monster. The film really gets you to sympathize with the mother and then as the film progresses, thing start to change. The kid starts to become the focus and you find yourself battling on what you want to happen.
The film plays with you, in both story and visuals. The sound design constantly makes you feel like something awful is going to happen and when it does, you still can’t believe what you’re seeing. The film had a small budget, but you really can’t tell when shadows start to move. The practical effects really made the uneasy feeling I had that much more unsettling. I just don’t get scared at computer effects.
The story within the film was also top notch. There was deep seeded symbolism dealing with depression, mental illness, and dealing with stress that I really enjoyed trying to uncover. The reason I mention this is because I could actually be wrong. There are lots of things that can be discussed and debated in this film. It’s very open to interpretation and for a horror film, this is what makes it unique. I urge you guys to see it. I don’t know where it will land, but it is definitely in my top 6-7 films of the year.
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Comments 1 - 15 of 35
Nightwalker
The Babadook has been labeled the best Australian horror movie in years. I've got not much to compare to, but I do recognize a good horror picture when I see one. While you won't have to prepare for jump scares, gallons of blood or unbearable tension, Jennifer Kent's movie relies on the expressions of the actors and the psychological darkness surrounding the story. Essie Davis and child actor Noah Wiseman give their best making their facial expressions speak a thousand words and mostly they succeed. In addition, I think it is possible to read a subtext in this movie: the Babadook being the psychological terror of not being able to cope with reality. Of course that's just a possible interpretation (although I like the metaphorical layer of the ending when looking at the movie this way). The kind of horror that adds a pinch of Dark Touch to movies like Mama, Sinister and Oculus. Recommended!Implar
Excellent horror movie that actually managed to make me feel uneasy. One of the best horror movies I've seen in a long, long time.ThomasFTB
Not too shabby.One thing that really bugged me was the occasional stock sound effect. Which is a shame, because otherwise the sound design was really good. But then once in a while there'd be this stock "monster roar" sound effect that you've heard in a million cheap genre flicks, and you can't help but roll your eyes.
stanleyskubrick
It's not as scary as people are saying it is, but it's still an all right movie and has good metaphorical value. But it kind of makes me not want to have kids because that kid is utterly annoying.misguidedthings
Do yourself a favor and watch this movie. It has a deep meaning that goes beyond the typical horror movie, the symbolism in it astonishing, brilliantly made to get you thinking. It also has great acting, even though the kid will haunt me for a while, even more than the Babadook itself.John Milton
The Babadook does not disappoint. It's creepy, gloomy, dark and a thoughtful love child of German Expressionism and more modern horror. The focus is laid on mood instead of scares, and Kent has made a very decent film with this.Thorough review in Dutch: http://www.moviemeter.nl/film/96975/info/30#4231453
Marmalade
Without a doubt, one of the best horror films in recent years. The writing elevates it far beyond the typical horror fare.Xondar
Why do people love this horrible movie?Siskoid
The Babadook is first and foremost about depression and dealing with overwhelming loss. The monster is a manifestation of that, existing in a space created by magical realism, if anywhere at all. It's the story of a woman whose husband died taking her to the hospital to have her baby delivered, and now raises the child "responsible" alone. And he's a difficult boy. One night, she finds a creepy children's book on the shelf and accidentally inflames his imagination and her own with the dark figure of Mr. Babadook, who soon comes knocking. Lots of good scares, but the horror works best on a psychological, rather than manifest, level, and a lot of the details about what's really going on play in the background, reward the perceptive viewer, and allow for discoveries on subsequent viewings. The production design is striking, aping the book's aesthetic and color palette without calling too much attention to it. I'm quite stoked that we're getting so many richer, deeper horror films lately.Princess_Of_Snails
I'm ecstatic to see that there are still high quality horror movies being produced in this day and age. The story was expertly laid out and the atmosphere was dark and foreboding. I also appreciated that there was a decent child actor as one of the main characters. (They're hard to find in a lot of high budget films.) My only issues were the stock "dinosaur screams" I heard a couple times and the babadook's face being shown about halfway through the film which kind of lessened the "fear of the unknown" for me. I really enjoyed this movie as it held my attention in anticipation of what would happen next. 8.5/10 stars for sure!toopsy
it's a solid movie, but the best thing about it is reading the interpretations by people on message boards afterwardsOverfields
One of the better horror movies i've seen the last years, does not use those blockbuster scares and loud noises.
Does resemble movies like: The Shining and The Exorcist when it comes to creepines and ambience.
The_Comatorium
This is going to be tough talking about this one without giving away key plot points and themes that will ruin the experience for you guys. I’ll start off by saying that this is at least the best horror film since “The Conjuring” last year and at most the best horror film of the last decade. For me, it rests somewhere in the middle. Whether or not it starts leaning towards a certain side will be determined by repeat viewings, which is rare for a horror film. Watch it again? The scares aren’t going to hit right? The element of surprise will be gone right? In most cases, that is correct. However, this film is way more than just a jump scare reel with something resembling a story.There really aren’t any jump scares, yet, I haven’t been this scared watching a movie in a long time. I was slack jawed throughout most of the 2nd half and was honestly scared walking around my dark apartment building afterward. I inspect vacant houses for a living. I’m constantly in pitch black abandoned basement by myself and yet this film made me afraid of the dark. That’s choice guys. That’s what I look for in a horror film, something that makes me so uneasy that my reality is tweaked just a bit.
The film centers around Amelia, powerfully played by Essie Davis, and her son Samuel, played by Noah Wiseman. Samuel is a goddamn terror. He is being kicked out of school and while he’s a smart and creative little monster, he’s also prone to complete screaming meltdowns and completely erratic behavior. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t a fan of Samuel early on in the film. I honestly wanted to punch him in the face; a toddler, in the face. I don’t even feel bad about that. He was that much of a monster. The film really gets you to sympathize with the mother and then as the film progresses, thing start to change. The kid starts to become the focus and you find yourself battling on what you want to happen.
The film plays with you, in both story and visuals. The sound design constantly makes you feel like something awful is going to happen and when it does, you still can’t believe what you’re seeing. The film had a small budget, but you really can’t tell when shadows start to move. The practical effects really made the uneasy feeling I had that much more unsettling. I just don’t get scared at computer effects.
The story within the film was also top notch. There was deep seeded symbolism dealing with depression, mental illness, and dealing with stress that I really enjoyed trying to uncover. The reason I mention this is because I could actually be wrong. There are lots of things that can be discussed and debated in this film. It’s very open to interpretation and for a horror film, this is what makes it unique. I urge you guys to see it. I don’t know where it will land, but it is definitely in my top 6-7 films of the year.
4.5/5
www.thoughtsfromthebooth.com
@booththoughts
Shidan
I've a lot of problems with it, but the worst is the endingThe videogame "Among the Sleep" does it better, even when that videogame isn't very good either.
Duke of Omnium
I would have liked it a lot more if the kid hadn't been such a whiny brat.Showing items 1 – 15 of 35